Carlin's death shows heart failure requires careful management
WILKES-BARRE - Totally different people – NBC newsman Tim Russert and world-class comedian George Carlin. But within a little more than a week, both died from a heart-related cause.
Russert, 58, died on June 13 while recording a voice over for Meet the Press.
Carlin, 71, died last evening after being admitted to a Los Angeles hospital with chest pains.
Both men had experienced heart disease warning signs. Russert had been under a doctor’s care for coronary artery disease. He was following a regime of exercise and cholesterol-lowering medication. In 1995, Carlin received an angioplasty that included placement of a double stent to open narrowed coronary arteries. Afterward, he announced he would focus on following a healthier lifestyle that included better eating habits and quitting smoking.
“The recent loss of these two high-profile Americans reinforces the importance of managing cardiac risk factors every day,” says Alfred Casale, MD surgical director of Geisinger’s Heart Institute. “Although we can usually extend and improve the lives of patients with heart disease, events like these remind us that the battle is ongoing and somewhat uncertain.”
Heart failure, which reportedly claimed Carlin’s life, can be caused by four main factors:
Untreated, heart failure can cause shortness of breath, weakness and fluid buildup.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the death rate from heart disease in the US has dropped by 50 percent from 1980 to 2000, due to improvements in medical treatment and a reduction of risk factors.
Dr. Casale offers this advice, “You can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease, by taking a simple approach – reduce your risk factors.
Know and manage with you doctor your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar,